Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

कुलानां तारयेद्विंशं दशपूर्वान्दशापरान् । गयादिपञ्चस्थानेषु यः श्राद्धं कुरुते नरः

Transliteration

kulānāṃ tārayedviṃśaṃ daśapūrvāndaśāparān | gayādipañcasthāneṣu yaḥ śrāddhaṃ kurute naraḥ

Translation

Wer das Śrāddha in den fünf heiligen Stätten, beginnend mit Gayā, vollzieht, erlöst zwanzig Generationen seines Geschlechts—zehn vor ihm und zehn nach ihm.

Word by Word

• कुलानाम्: of the families/lineages
• कुलानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तारयेत्: would deliver/save
• तारयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विंशम्: twenty (persons/generations)
• विंशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (संख्याशब्द), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्द (indeclinable-like numeral); संख्या-विशेषणार्थे

• पूर्वान्: former/preceding (ones)
• पूर्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्द; संख्या-विशेषणार्थे

• अपरान्: later/following (ones)
• अपरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• गया-आदि-पञ्च-स्थानेषु: in the five places beginning with Gayā
• गया-आदि-पञ्च-स्थानेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः—गयादयः (गया-आदि) येषु पञ्च स्थानानि (पञ्चस्थानेषु)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite (ancestral offering)
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुरुते: does/performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañca-sthāna beginning with Gayā (as benchmark)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim performs śrāddha with piṇḍa and tila-tarpaṇa at a sacred riverbank/altar, with ancestral figures subtly depicted receiving offerings; the verse foregrounds the ‘twenty generations’ motif.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Śrāddha
• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pitṛ-dharma is portrayed as powerful: proper śrāddha at renowned tīrthas benefits both ancestors and descendants.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā is explicitly named, along with four other major śrāddha sites (pañca-sthānas) referenced collectively.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing śrāddha at the pañca-sthānas, especially at Gayā.